About the data
The WBA Nature Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to protect the environment and its biodiversity, tracking how companies are reducing their negative impacts on nature and contributing to the protection and restoration of ecosystems, aligned with the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework. The 2026 edition assessed 750 companies across multiple sectors including agro-food, forestry, building, tourism and the blue economy. The benchmark is developed in close collaboration with an Expert Review Committee and partners including GRI, SBTN, and TNFD, with a methodology designed to incentivise companies to understand where nature-related risks are highest and act to halt damaging trends, while keeping human rights and social impacts at its core.
More information can be found here.
More information can be found here.
Methodology
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
(IPBES) Global Assessment has estimated that 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with
extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) finds that more than a quarter
of all assessed species are threatened. There is thus an ever-growing need for companies to report
progress on halting biodiversity loss, despite the challenges of measuring biodiversity impacts.Companies must:
Report quantitative progress on halting biodiversity loss, and
Disclose positive change(s) on at least one biodiversity-related metric since the last reporting period (or in its absence, a stated baseline).
Progress can relate to:
a)Species-specific metrics
b)Connectivity metrics
c)Area-based metrics
d)Ecosystem service metrics
e)Other biodiversity-related restoration metrics
Given that this topic is comparatively less mature than others, in this iteration of the Benchmark we will accept disclosure on specific projects (even if these do not cover the entirety of the company’s operations), as long as the methods used are robust and transparent.
To meet this element, at least two measurements are needed in order to demonstrate an improvement (e.g. a baseline and a subsequent measurement). Year on year metrics are not strictly mandatory as progress on biodiversity may take several years to be measurable. For example:
**Pollinator diversity** might be monitored every 2 to 3 years, balancing the need for timely data with the natural variability in populations.
**Species abundance** is typically evaluated every 3 to 5 years, allowing enough time to observe meaningful trends and the impact of conservation efforts.
**The connectivity of ecosystems** is generally assessed every 5 years to gauge long-term ecological landscape changes.
**Genetic diversity **within key species, reflecting complex and slow-changing dynamics, may require a longer interval, such as every 5 to 10 years.
**Invasive species coverage** can be monitored annually, as those metrics are crucial for tracking rapid changes and adjusting management strategies promptly.
Restoration metrics will only count for this element when they are clearly biodiversity-related (e.g. to protect a species).
(IPBES) Global Assessment has estimated that 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with
extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) finds that more than a quarter
of all assessed species are threatened. There is thus an ever-growing need for companies to report
progress on halting biodiversity loss, despite the challenges of measuring biodiversity impacts.Companies must:
Report quantitative progress on halting biodiversity loss, and
Disclose positive change(s) on at least one biodiversity-related metric since the last reporting period (or in its absence, a stated baseline).
Progress can relate to:
a)Species-specific metrics
b)Connectivity metrics
c)Area-based metrics
d)Ecosystem service metrics
e)Other biodiversity-related restoration metrics
Given that this topic is comparatively less mature than others, in this iteration of the Benchmark we will accept disclosure on specific projects (even if these do not cover the entirety of the company’s operations), as long as the methods used are robust and transparent.
To meet this element, at least two measurements are needed in order to demonstrate an improvement (e.g. a baseline and a subsequent measurement). Year on year metrics are not strictly mandatory as progress on biodiversity may take several years to be measurable. For example:
**Pollinator diversity** might be monitored every 2 to 3 years, balancing the need for timely data with the natural variability in populations.
**Species abundance** is typically evaluated every 3 to 5 years, allowing enough time to observe meaningful trends and the impact of conservation efforts.
**The connectivity of ecosystems** is generally assessed every 5 years to gauge long-term ecological landscape changes.
**Genetic diversity **within key species, reflecting complex and slow-changing dynamics, may require a longer interval, such as every 5 to 10 years.
**Invasive species coverage** can be monitored annually, as those metrics are crucial for tracking rapid changes and adjusting management strategies promptly.
Restoration metrics will only count for this element when they are clearly biodiversity-related (e.g. to protect a species).
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Aggregate Data Report